1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of belt sanding systems, and more particularly, to a device for adjusting the position of a sensing element unit in accordance with the inclination or angle of a segmented sanding block, and a control unit for its regulation.
2. Description of the Related Art
A type of throughfeed belt sanding system includes a plurality of sensing elements that work in informational cooperation with a segmented sanding block. The sanding block includes a plurality of individually controllable segmented pads, and a pair of deflecting rollers positioned about either side of the segments around which a sanding belt is guided. As a workpiece is fed through the machine along the feed direction, the surface characteristics of the workpiece are sensed by the sensing elements, and that information is transmitted to the corresponding segmented pads of the sanding block. Thus, the machine includes segmented pads for applying pressure to a workpiece in an individually controllable manner as information is transmitted from the sensing elements.
When the segmented sanding block of the throughfeed sanding machine is set to an inclination with respect to the feed direction of the machine, the problem arises of the loss of alignment of the sensing element series with respect to the different for example perpendicular, positioning of the segmented pads. Since the inclination of the sanding belt alters the position of the segments relative to the sensing elements, the workpiece characteristics are incompletely or incorrectly transmitted to the corresponding segments by the sensing elements, and a discrepancy results leading to improper segmented pad control.
Accordingly, what is desired is a device for adjusting the position of the sensing element series in accordance with the inclination of the segmented sanding block in order to completely and correctly transmit information from the sensing element series to the segmented sanding block.